Surfacing unit and method and apparatus ratus for processing same



Nov. 14, 1961 w. M. REES ET AL 3,008,861

SURFACING UNIT AND METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PROCESSING SAME 2 sheets sheet 1 Filed Dec. 28, 1956 fix VENTURE Nov. 14, 1961 w, REES El-AL 3,008,861

SURFACING UNIT AND METHOD ANl D APPARATUS FOR PROCESSING SAME Filed Dec. 28, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 dim [NI/ENTERS .WILLIS' M. Essa.- H0225 T HZ 503m, T2.

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United States Patent Ofiice 3,008,861 Patented Nov. 14, 1961 3,008,861 SURFACING UNIT AND METHOD AND APPA- RATUS FOR PROCESSING SAME Willis M. Rees and Robert W. Schultz, Newark, Ohio, assignors to Owens-Coming Fiberglas Corporation, a corporation of Delaware Filed Dec. 28, 1956, Ser. No. 631,219 11 Claims. (Cl. 156-229) This invention relates to surfacing units and more especially to surfacing units such as form board or panels, acoustical tiles or similar surfacing components, sheets or ,se ctions formed of fibrous material and a method and apparatus for fabricating the units. Surfacing units such as wall boards, acoustical tile, roof boards and the like having acoustic or sound damping properties have been formed of fibrous material such as glass fibers by compressing a comparatively thick mass of fibers containing a binder to a dense mat formation which, in compressed condition, is passed htrough a'heating or curing oven to set the binder thu retaining the fibers of the mat in the compressed condition. The compressed mats or form boards are substantially rigid and have been utilized as surface facing for sound and acoustic insulation. Boards or tiles of formed fibers are replete with interstices or minute voids which function to attenuate or dampen sound waves to substantial degree.

Form boards of this character are sufiiciently rigid to be utiliied as ceilings and side Walls and the inner surfaces have been painted or decorated in any suitable manner. However, the surfaces of such fibrous form boards may be rough or uneven presenting an unattractive visual appearance. Furthermore, in the fabrication of relatively dense fiber boards, the comparatively thick mass of fibers, for example a mass 8" in thickness maybe compressed to an ultimate thickness of from one half inch to one inch or more and the finished surface sanded or abraded to obtain a relatively smooth surface. The abrasion operation sometimes results in loosening or tearing small flakes or bunches of fibers from the surface forming pits or small blemishes in the surface rendering the same rough anduneven. Hereto-fore the-defective boards have been discarded as waste or disintegrated and reprocessed for other purposes.

The present invention embraces a form board or tile provided with a finishedlayer or lamina adhesively joined to a fibrous board whereby a smooth surface is obtained which is devoid of indentations, pits or depressions. v

. Another object ofijthe invention, is the provision of a fibrous board or tile bearing a relatively thin facing layer .or mat formed of bonded fibers adhesively joinedto the fibrous form board or tile providing a smooth finish for the board which doesinot impair the sound damping and heat insulating characteristics of the board or tile, the surfacing mat or layer "being adapted tobe painted or otherwise provided with a decorative finish.

Another object of, the invention is the provision of a composite or laminated wall surfacing product formed of a dense mass of compressed mineral fibers interbonded together with a preformed, relatively thin bonded mat of glass-fibers adhesively joined to the dense mass of mineral fibers.

Another object of the invention resides in a method of fashioning a composite form board or acoustical tile o-fl fibrous material wherein the form boards or tiles are continuously and successively advanced through an abrad ing station at which one surface of each of the boards is abraded or sanded to obtain a'flat' area, the abraded surface being provided with an adhesive and a preformed surfacing layer or web continuously applied to the advancing boards, and severing the layer or web to individnal'ize or separate the finished boards or tiles.

' boards;

' ventionythe method and arrangement are especially Another object of the invention resides in a method wherein a layer of preformed, bonded mat of fibers is continuously advanced and applied to moving form boards which have beenpreviously coated with adhesive or bonding material and wherein heat is applied to the bonded mat at the region of application of the bonded mat to the fibrous boards to assist in setting the adhesive as well as to smooth any wrinkles or imperfections in the surface of the mat.

Another object ofthe invention resides in a method of applying a finishicoating or layer to fibrous boards having surface imperfections which are covered or obsoured by the surface layer whereby a usable product of high quality may be produced through the'utilization of form boards which would" otherwise be rejected as waste I Another object of the invention is the provision of an apparatus for applying a surfacing layer or finish coating onto a substantially rigid board formed of compressed fibers wherein a coating of adhesive is pplied to a surface of the fiber board and the adhesive coated surfaces advanced through a treating zone to render the adhesive tacky during the period that the finish coating is being joined to. the form boards and the coating or surfacing layer subsequently severed at a region between adjacent boards.

, Further objects and advantages are within'the scope of this invention suchas relate to the arrangement, operation "and function of the related elements of the structure, to various details of construction and to combinations of parts, element s per se, and to economies of nian'1i facture and numerous other features as will be apparent from a consideration ofthe specification and drawing of a form of the invention, which may 'be preferred, in which: p 7

FIGURE 1 is' a semi-diagrammatic side elevational view of aiportion of the apparatus for carrying out cer tain" steps in the method of the invention; f

FIGURE 2 is an elevational view illustrating a continuation'of the apparatus illustrated in FIGURE 1 for carrying out additional steps in the method of the in"- ventlon; H p

FIGURE 3 is a semi diagrammatic; fragmentary elevational view of a portionof the apparatus illustrated in FIGURE 2 showing a modified arrangement for applyingheat to the 'sur'facinglayer or coating on the fibrous 7 FIGURE 4 is a semi-diagrammatic top plan view of the arrangement illustrated in FIGURE 3; and

FIGURE S is an isometric view illustrating the end product produced by the method of the invention.

While the method and apparatus of the invention are particularly usable for processingof fibrous form boards and applying a surfacing layer" 'or coating. thereto for producing a surfacing unit for tile having efiective sound attenuating and heat insulation properties, it, is to be understood that the apparatus and method may be utilized for processing and applying surfacing layers or coatings to other forms of sheet material. p Referring to the drawings detail, and initially to FIGURES l and 2, there is; illustrated a form ofapparatus for performing steps in the method of the invention,v the arrangement shown in FIGURE 2 being aligned with and forming a continuation of the arrangement shown in FIGURE 1 with the region indicated by the lines AA in connected relation, the successive steps in the method or stations at which operationsare performed on the fibrous boards being in sequential progression in a right hand direction as viewed in these figures;

While the various types of fiberaboards oracoustic tiles may be processed throughuse of the method of the inadapted for processing form boards made of glass fibers or other mineral fibers.

A typical form board fabricated of glass fibers is pro- .duced by impregnating or dispersing a binder such as phenol-formaldehyde or urea-formaldehyde or other suitable bonding material in a mass of haphazardly-arranged, attenuated glass fibers and the mass of fibers compressed to a thickness of from one-half to one inch or more, the binder impregnated fibers, while in compressed condition, being passed through an oven or curing zone to cure or set the binder. The binder, upon setting or drying, holds the fibers in their compressed condition providing a form board of high density of from six to twelve pounds per cubic foot which is substantially rigid but which is replete with interstices or voids which provide efiiective acoustic or sound damping as well as efficient heat insulation.

With particular reference to FIGURE 1, the preformed fibrous boards made in accordance with the hereina above described method are loaded upon or delivered to the upper flight of a loading conveyor 16, the flight 15 moving continuously in a right hand direction as viewed in FIGURE 1, thus continuously advancing the fibrous form boards 10 through the various stations at which operations or steps in the method are to be performed as herein described.

The loading conveyor 16 is supported by rollers 17 and 18 journaled in bearings carried by a frame structure 20. The conveyor 16 is driven through gear reducing mechanism of predetermined ratio contained in a housing 22 by a driving chain 23 and sprockets 24 and 25. The gear reducing mechanism in housing 22 is driven by a shaft 26 which is driven through an adjustable or variable speed reducing mechanism contained in a second housing 27 from a motor 28.

The motor 28 drives a speed reducing mechanism contained in a housing 29 which, through chain and sprocket means shown in FIGURE 1, completes a drive to th speed reducing mechanism contained in housing 27 and also drives a shaft 32. The mechanism in the housing 27 also drives a speed reducing mechanism contained in a housing 33 which drives a second conveyor 35 of the endless belt type through the medium of sprockets 36,-

37 and a chain 38. The conveyor 35 is supported upon rollers 41 and 42 and is driven so that the upper flight 40 thereof moves in a right hand direction.

Journally supported between the rollers 18 and 41 is a rotatable sanding or abrading roll 44 for smoothing the bottom or lower surfaces of the boards or tiles prior to thin delivery to the sanding or abrading station 45 at which the upper surfaces are abraded or sanded. The boards or tiles are advanced by the conveyor 16 into engagement withthe bottom sanding roll 44 and are held in contact therewith by means such as an endless belt 19. The conveyor flight 40 conveys the boards or tiles under and in engagement with rotating sanding or abrading rolls 46 at the sanding station 45.

The abrading rolls 46 may be of difierent degrees of fineness of grain so that the first of the rolls 46, being of coarse grain, performs an initial coarse abrasion of the form board surfaces and the remaining rolls, of finer grain produce smooth surfaces on the boards.

Thus the form boards or fibrous sheets are provided with comparatively smooth surfaces through the abrasion of the rolls 46 prior to the deposition of adhesive or bonding material onto the abraded upper surfaces 52. The gear reducing mechanisms contained in the housings 22 and 33 drive the conveyors 16 and 35 as speeds which will maintain the boards or tiles in edge-to-edge or abutting relation so that the same are advanced or fed into engagement with the sanding or abrading rolls without any spacing between adjacent boards.

Disposed in longitudinal alignment with the .conveyor 40 is a series or group of supporting rollers 48 which are rotated by suitable means (not shown) to maintain the boards or tiles in edge-to-edge abutting relation and proper alignment while advancing them to the adhesive applying station designated 50.

The means for applying adhesive to the abraded surface areas 52 of the boards or tiles 10 is supported upon a suitable frame 54 as shown diagrammatically in FIG- URE 2. The frame 54 supports side frame members 56 which are equipped with bearings journally supporting an applicator roll 58.

Disposed adjacent the applicator roll 58 is a material metering means or roll 60 journalled in suitable bearings (not shown) which are adjustable in a direction to move or adjust the adhesive material metering roll 60 toward or away from the applicator roll 58.

The space indicated at 62 at the nip region of the rolls determines the thickness of the film of adhesive or coating material adhered to the applicator for transfer onto the abraded surfaces 52 of the form boards. The region defined by peripheral portions of the rolls 58 and 69 above the space 62 provides a reservoir in which the coating material 64 is maintained for supplying the material onto the roll 58.

Abutment members or blocks (not shown) are arranged adjacent the end regions of the rolls 58 and 60 forming end walls to prevent loss of the adhesive 64 fromthe end regions of the rolls. A pipe 66 is connected with a supply of adhesive for conveying adhesive into the region indicated at 64, a valve 67 being associated with the pipe 66 for controlling the flow rate or delivery of the adhesive.

The roll 58 is driven by a chain 70 from a sprocket carried upon a shaft 72 and the metering roll 60 is driven by a chain 74 from a sprocket mounted upon the shaft 72. The driving means is arranged to rotate both rolls 58 and 60 in clockwise directions as viewed in FIG- URE 2. The shaft 72 is driven by a chain 76 from a sprocket driven by speed reducing mechanism contained within a housing 78, the speed reducing means being driven from the longitudinally extending drive shaft 32 driven by the motor 28.

A member or doctor blade 85 is disposed with a knife edge portion thereof-in contact with the periphery of the metering roll 60 in order to prevent adhesive being carried around with the metering roll 60 so as not to modify the thickness of the film of adhesive carried by the applicator 58 onto the surfaces 52 of the form boards 10.

Various adhesives, coating or bonding materials may be used for the purpose and an adhesive whose principal constituent is polyvinyl acetate adapted to be water or liquid dispersed is well suited for the purpose. Other adhesives or bonding materials that may be applied in a water or liquid vehicle are polyvinyl chloride, a mixture of polyvinyl acetate and polyvinyl chloride, or polyvinyl alcohol and polyvinyl chloride, synthetic and natural rubbers or'rubber-like lattices, gelatins, glues and similar materials may be employed.

Theupper flight of an endless belt type conveyor 91 driven by chain and sprocket means from the shaft 72 is arranged to convey or advance the form boards beneath the applicator roll 58 at a constant speed in order that a coating of adhesive of uniform thickness may be deposited upon the smooth surfaces 52 of the form boards.

As the adhesive is carried or suspended in a liquid vehicle such as water, the film or coating deposited on the form boards is wet and in such condition the adhesive is non-tacky. The adhesive-bearing form boards or tiles are advanced from the applicator station to an adhesive treating or drying station 95. Arranged to support the coated form boards at the drying station is a roller conveyor, the rolls 97 thereof being of the same character as the rolls 48 arranged to maintain the boards in abutting relation.

The drying station is inclusive of heating means 99 which may be in the form of electrically energized-heat lamps or resistance heating units disposed above and adjacent the adhesive-bearing surfaces of the boards for directing heat onto the adhesive coating to volatilize or evaporate a substantial portion of the water or liquid vehicle to cause the adhesive to become tacky.

The form boards or tiles 10 are advanced through the drying station 95 to a laminating or mat applying station 102. The surfacing or finishing layer, web or mat 110 to be applied at the laminating station is preferably bonded mat which has been prefabricated or preformed of fibers such as glass fibers or filaments bonded together by a bonding material such as starch or phenol-formaldehyde to form a sheet, web or mat which is comparatively thin. The bonded mat may be formed of continuous fibers in swirl formation or in a definite pattern or orientation, staple fibers or the same may be formed of a mixture of continuous filaments and staple fibers, the mat preferably being between .010 and .100 inch in thickness.

The surfacing layer or web may be a resin or plastic fihn of porous character, reinforced or unreinforced, the porosity of whichis such as not to appreciably impair the sound attenuating characteristics of the materiaL, It has been found that a bonded mat of mineral fibers, such as glass fibers, is endowed with many interstices and voids so that its application to a fibrous form board does not materially afiect or impair the acoustic properties of the end product.

A supply roll 104 of the bonded mat or other surfacing material, sheet or web is carried upon a mandrel 106 at the laminating station. Journally supported above the path of the form boards 10 is a roll or cylinder 108, the mat or web 110' from the roll 104 passing around the cylinder or roll 108 for guiding the mat or surfacing material onto the adhesively coated surfaces of the form boards. A roll or cylinder 112 driven by a chain114 is disposed to support the form boards 10 at the region of application of the bonded mat to the form boards, the roll 112 moving in a direction to advance the form boards but at a speed slightly greater than the speed of the conveyors 16 and35 shown in FIGURE 1 to progressively effect an ultimate spacing of the mat-faced boards of about three-quarters of. an inch.

Arranged adjacent the laminating zone is an endless belt conveyor 115, the upper flight 116 of which supports the mat coated boards at the chopper or mat severing station designated 120. The conveyor flight 116 moves at substantially the same linear speed as the peripheral speed of roll 112 to maintain the spacing between adjacent boards and exerting a continuous tension or stretching of the mat as it is applied to the boards through the tenacious grip of the adhesive existent between the board and the mat. The cylinder or roll 108 is preferably of hollow configuration and is heated to'a temperature of upwards'of four hundred degrees Fahrenheit. The roll 108 is disposed to exert downward pressure on the mat to press the same into the adhesive and in conjunction with heat from the cylinder 108 serves to iron out any wrinkles tending to form in the mat so that the mat or web on the surface of a form board provides a uniplanar surface which is substantially smooth.

Suitable means (not shown) supports the mat-faced boards between the roll 112 and the conveyorllS. Each form board bearing the surfacing layer of web or mat is advanced by the roll 112 and conveyor flight 116 to the severing station 120. As shown in FIGURE 2,-the conveyor flight 116 is looped downwardly around a roller 122 to accommodate the downward movement of a'severing knife or a chopper 124. The adjacent, but spaced, edge regions of the mat-covered form boards during the severing of the bonded mat or web are supported by spaced parallel bars or platens 126. I

The form boards with the mat applied thereon and before severing are spaced a sufiicient distance to accommodate the severing knife 124, the space 125 being about three quarters to an inch in width. It is desirable to make into operation or activated by a photosensitive. cell such as a selenium element energized by the passage of a light beam through the space between adjacent form boards at the region that severing or chopping of the mat is to 1 be effected. The photosensitive cell control is of a con ventional type.

The conveyor belt 115 and roll 112 are driven from the shaft 32 through an adjustable variable speed mechanism contained in a housing 128 and through a fixed ratio speed reducing mechanism contained in a housing 130. It should be noted that all of the conveyor mechanisms are properly synchronized by the speed reducing mechanisms driven by the motor 28.

A frame member 111 at the laminating or web applying station supports a trimming mechanism including trimming wheels or knives 109 which are spaced transversely and engageable with the edge regions of the mat to trim the same to the length of form board.

The mat faced boards from the severing station may be conveyed to a drying or curing oven to completely set the adhesive establishing a permanent bond between the mat and the form board.

From the foregoingit will be apparent that the method is continuous and automatic in that the form boards 10 after being deposited upon the loader conveyor 16 are automatically advanced through the several stations and the method steps performed in the manner and sequence hereinbefore described.

The product formed as above described comprising a form board '10 and mat 110 is shown in FIGURE 5: The form boards are of a substantial size usually two feet wide. and four .feetin length and the mat 110 is preferably applied with the width of the mat disposed lengthwise of the form board. The mat covered form" condition they are reset by the heated roll 108. This freedom of movement of the fibers assists in avoiding wrinkles in the mat.

The use of an adhesive in Water avoids the necessity of pre-moistening the met as suflicient softening of the binder occurs when the adhesive and mat are brought together adjacent thexheated roll 108, a factor promoting the avoidanceof wrinkles in the mat.

FIGURESv 3 and 4 illustrate a modified arrangement for ironing wrinkles that may tend to form in the bonded mat. Disposed above the left hand portion of the'upper flight 1 16 of conveyor is a plurality of ironing devices or shoes. As particularly shown in FIGURE 4, the arrangement is inclusive. of an ironing shoe 1'35 disposed cent-rally of the advancing mat 110 and-transversely spaced shoes 136 and 137 which, in combination, provide ironing surfaces in engagement with the bonded mat throughout its entire. width.

Each of the ironing shoes is providedwith an electrically energized heating unit as for example of resistance heater 140 to maintainthe ironing shoes at a temperatur'e. of upwards of four hundred degrees Fahrenheit. The ironing arrangement. shown in. FIGURES 3 and 4 for smoothing the mat 110 may be used inlieu heating the roll .108 as hereinbefore described. As shown in FIGURES 3 and 4, it is desirable to mount the ironing shoes 135, 136 and 137 in a position adjacent to the severing station lltlfor engagement with the mat prior to its severance. If desired additional pressure other than the weight of the shoes may be applied to the shoes to further impress the mat into the adhesive.

It is apparent that, within the scope of the invention, modifications and different arrangements may be made other than is herein disclosed, and the present disclosure is illustrative merely, the invention comprehending all variations thereof.

We claim:

1. A method of applying a facing web to form boards fashioned of mineral fibers including the steps of advancing individual fibrous boards in end-to-end abutting relation to an applicator station, delivering an adhesive onto surfaces of the boards at said station, advancing the adhesive bearing boards through a drying station to render the adhesive tacky, feeding a continuous web into contiguous engagement with the adhesive-bearing surface of the foremost of the advancing boards, pressing the web into intimate contact with the adhesive on the foremost board, increasing the speed of advancement of the board during the delivery of the continuous web onto the adhesive on the board to separate the foremost board from the boards in abutting relation and establish tension in the web, and subsequently severing the web at the region between successive boards.

2. A method of applying a facing web of mineral fibers to form boards fashioned of mineral fibers including the steps of advancing fibrous boards to an applicator station, delivering an adhesive onto surfaces of the boards at said station, advancing the adhesive-bearing boards through a treating region to render the adhesive tacky, feeding a continuous flexible Web of mineral fibers into contiguous engagement with the adhesive-bearing surfaces of the boards, increasing the rate of advancement of a board during-application of the web thereto to stretch the web, concomitantly applying heat to the web, and subsequently severing the web at a region between successive boards.

3. A method of forming a laminated fibrous product including the steps of advancing fibrous bodies in endto-end abutting relation to an abrading station, abrading the surfaces of the boards, advancing the boards to an applicator station, delivering an adhesive onto the abraded surf-aces at the applicator station, advancing the adhesivebearing boards through a treating zone to render the adhesive tacky, feeding a continuous web into contiguous engagement with the adhesive-bearing surfaces of the boards and concomitantly applying heat to the web, increasing the rate of advancement of a board during application of the web thereto to stretch the web, and subsequently severing the web at a region between successive boards.

' 4. .A method of forming a composite fibrous product including the steps of advancing fibrous acoustic tiles to an applicator station, delivering a liquid-dispersed adhesive onto surfaces of the tiles, advancing the adhesivebearing tiles through a drying region for rendering the adhesive viscous, feeding a bonded mat of mineral fibers onto the surface bearing the adhesive, engaging the mat with a heated surface 'at the region of delivery of the mat onto the adhesive on the tiles arranged to press the mat into intimate engagement with the adhesive, increasing the rate of advancement of an adhesive bearing tile during delivery of the bonded mat thereon to effect a stretching of the bonded mat and a separation of the tile bearing the bonded mat from the succeeding tiles, and severing the mat at the zone of separation of the tiles.

5. A method of applying bonded mat of mineral fibers to form boards made of compres'sedmineral fibers including the steps of advancing form boards in abut-ting relation. to an abrading station, abrading the surfaces of the boards, advancing the boardsvto an applicator station, delivering a liquid-dispersed adhesive onto the abraded surfaces, advancing the adhesive-bearing boards through a drying region for rendering the adhesive tacky, feeding a continuous bonded mat of mineral. fibers onto the surfaces bearing the adhesive, engaging the mat with a heated surface at'the region of delivery of the mat onto the adhesive arranged to press the mat into intimate engagement with the adhesive on the boards, increasing the rate of'wadvancement of the board during delivery of the bonded. mat thereon to separate the same from the boards in abutting relation to establish tension in the mat, and severing the mat at the zone of separation of the boards.

6. Apparatus of the character disclosed, in combination, a frame, a rotary abrading member, a conveyor arranged to convey fibrous boards in abutting relation into engagement with the abrading member for abrading a surface of each of said boards, an applicator roll, means for establishing a film of adhesive material on the roll, means for directing fibrous boards into adjacent relation with the abraded surfaces ofthe boards whereby the film of adhesive is transferred to the boards, means for conditioning the adhesive on the boards to render the adhesive tacky, means for feeding a continuous Web of bonded fibers onto the adhesive on the boards, said web feeding means including a heated roll, said heated roll being disposed to exert pressure on the web to impress the web into intimate contact with the adhesive, means for increasingthe speed of the board receiving the web at the region of application of the'web to the board for separating the boards adjacent the web applying roll, and means for severing the mat at the region of separation of the boards.

7. Apparatus of the character disclosed, in combination, a frame, a rotary abrading member, a movable first conveyor arranged to convey fibrous boards in abutting relation into engagement with the abrading member for abrading a surface of each of said boards, an applicator roll, means for rotating the roll, means for establishing a film of adhesive material'on the roll, means for directing fibrous boards in abutting end-to-end relation into adjacent relation with the abraded surfaces of the boards whereby a film of adhesive is transferred to the abraded surfaces, means for applying heat to the adhesive on the boards for rendering the adhesive tacky, means for delivering a continuous web onto the adhesive on the boards, a second movable conveyor adapted for movement of a speed greaterthan that of the first conveyor for separating the boards adjacent the region of application of the web onto the boards, driving means for said conveyors, means associated with said driving means for synchronizing the respective rates of movement of the conveyors, and means for severing the Web at the region of separation of the boards.

8. Apparatus of the character disclosed, in combination, a'frame, a rotary abrading member, a conveyor arranged to convey fibrous boards in abutting relation into engagement with the abrading member for abrading a surface of each of said boards, an applicator roll, means for establishing a film of adhesive material on the roll,

means for directing fibrous boards into adjacent relation with the abraded surfaces of the boards whereby a film of adhesive is transferred to the boards, means for applying heat to the adhesive on the boards for rendering the adhesive tacky, means for delivering a continuous strip of bonded mat of mineral fibers onto the adhesive on the boards, said delivering mean including a heated roll, said roll being disposedto exert pressure on the strip to impress the strip, into intimate contact with the adhesive, means for advancing the foremost of the fibrous boards during delivery of the bonded mat thereon for separating the boards adjacent the mat applying roll, and meansincluding a movable knife for severing the mat at the region of separation .of the boards.

9. A method of atiixing a facing web on surfaces of individual bodies formed of mineral fibers including the steps of advancing fibrous bodies in end-to-end abutting relation to an applicator station, delivering an adhesive coating onto surfaces of the bodies, feeding a continuous web into engagement with the adhesive coating on the bodies as the bodies are successively moved through a web applying region, increasing the rate of advancement of the foremost of the bodies at the region of application of the web for separating the foremost body from the succeeding bodies and establishing tension in the facing Web, pressing the Web into intimate contact with the adhesive coating, and subsequently severing the Web at the space between adjacent bodies.

10. A method of applying a facing layer to a fibrous product including the steps of advancing fibrous boards to an applicator station, delivering an adhesive onto surfaces of the boards, advancing the adhesive-bearing boards through a drying region to render the adhesive tacky, feeding a continuous layer of the facing material onto the adhesive-bearing surfaces of theboards, engaging the facing layer With a heated surface, increasing the rate of advancement of a board at the region of delivery of the facing material thereon to separate the faced board from the adjacent board and establish tension in the layer of facing material, and subsequently severing the facing layer at the zones of separation of the boards;

11. A method of applying bonded mat to fibrous boards 10 tension in the mat and separating the board being faced with rnat from the adjacent board and the establish ten sion in the mat, engaging the mat disposed on a faced board with a heated surface to smooth the mat, and subsequently severing the mat at the zones of separation of 15 the boards.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,460,309 Rapp Feb. 1, 1949 2,609,315 Engel Sept. 2, 1952 2,641,561 Black June 9, 1953 2,654,687 Fridolph Oct. 6, 1953 2,713,380 Baurnan July 19, 1955 2,719,808 Elemendorf Oct. 4, 1955 2,744,044 Toulmin May 1, 1956 2,744,046 Ware et a1. May 1, 1956 2,761,487 Ware Sept. 4, 1956 2,772,717 Ware Dec. 4, 1956 

6. APPARATUS OF THE CHARACTER DISCLOSED, IN COMBINATION, A FRAME, A ROTARY ABRADING MEMBER, A CONVEYOR ARRANGED TO CONVEY FIBROUS BOARDS IN ABUTTING RELATION INTO ENGAGEMENT WITH THE ABRADING MEMBER FOR ABRADING A SURFACE OF EACH OF SAID BOARDS, AND APPLICATOR ROLL, MEAN FOR ESTABLISHING A FILM OF ADHESIVE MATERIAL ON THE ROLL, MEANS FOR DIRECTING FIBROUS BOARDS INTO ADJACENT RELATION WITH THE ABRADED SURFACES OF THE BOARDS, WHEREBY THE FILM OF ADHESIVE IS TRANSFERRED TO THE BOARDS, MEANS FOR CONDITIONING THE ADHESIVE ON THE BOARDS TO READER THE ADHESIVE TACKY, MEANS FOR FEEDING A CONTINUOUS WEB OF BONDED FIBERS ONTO THE ADHESIVE ON THE BOARDS, SAID WEB FEEDING MEANS INCLUDING A HEATED ROLL, SAID HEATED ROLL BEING DISPOSED TO EXERT PRESSURE ON THE WEB TO IMPRESS THE WEB INTO INTIMATE CONTACT WITH THE ADHESIVE, MEANS FOR INCREASING THE SPEED OF THE BOARD RECEIVING THE WEB AT THE REGION OF APPLICATION OF THE WEB TO THE BOARD FOR SEPARATING THE BOARDS ADJACENT THE WEB APPLYING ROLL AND MEANS FOR SEVERING THE MAT AT THE REGION OF SEPARATION OF THE BOARDS. 